Colatura di Alici di Cetara

Colatura di alici di Cetara is a clear, amber-to-brown-mahogany liquid obtained by fermenting anchovies of the species Engraulis encrasicolus in sea salt inside wooden barrels and terzigni. The anchovies must be caught in the sea off the coast of the province of Salerno, and all stages of processing, fermenting, ageing, and dripping must take place within that province.

About this designation

Registered as a PDO under file number PDO-IT-02440, with EU protection granted on 16 October 2018, Colatura di alici di Cetara is produced exclusively from anchovies (Engraulis encrasicolus) caught in the sea off the coast of the province of Salerno, at a maximum distance of 12 miles from the coast, at fishing depths corresponding to a bathymetry of between 50 and 200 m. The only permitted raw materials are these anchovies and medium or large grain sea salt. Processing, fermenting, ageing, and dripping must take place at sites within the municipalities of the province of Salerno; ageing and dripping may additionally be carried out at catering businesses based exclusively in the municipality of Cetara. The finished product must be clear and bright, amber in colour tending towards brown-mahogany, and must meet the following reference values: salt at or above 20 g per 100 g of product, protein at or above 8 g per 100 g of product, fat from 0 to 3 g per 100 g of product, and pH from 5 to 7. The product must be sold in clear transparent glass containers with a capacity of between 50 ml and 1 000 ml. Labels must bear the wording 'Colatura di Alici di Cetara' DOP in clear, indelible lettering, together with the PDO logo, the European Union symbol, and an indication of whether the container is a terzigno or barrel. A standard amendment approved on 7 January 2025 revised the minimum fat reference value from 0.1 g to 0 g per 100 g of product.

Source: The register document this entry was written from · retrieved August 26, 2026

Distinctive facts

• Registered as a PDO on 16 October 2018 under file number PDO-IT-02440, eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000016626.
• Anchovies must be caught at a maximum distance of 12 miles from the coast of the province of Salerno, at a bathymetry of between 50 and 200 m.
• The specification permits no raw materials other than Engraulis encrasicolus anchovies and medium or large grain sea salt.
• A standard amendment effective 7 January 2025 lowered the minimum fat reference value to 0 g per 100 g of product, replacing the previous minimum of 0.1 g.

Tasting notes

Campanian fish-sauce condiment from Cetara (Amalfi coast), pure liquid extracted from anchovies salted in chestnut barrels for 3-9+ months. Amber translucent color, intensely savory umami flavor with concentrated anchovy character, less salty and more refined than Asian fish sauces; descendant of Roman garum.

HoReCa use

The specification describes Colatura di alici di Cetara as a natural seasoning and sauce used with pasta and other dishes, whether simple or more complex, and notes a well-established tradition of serving it with spaghetti or linguine on Christmas Eve in Cetara.

Packaging

• glass-bottle-50ml
• glass-bottle-100ml
• glass-bottle-250ml
• gift-pack-100ml